Phineas and Ferb: The Nightmare Of Memories
by MegaKenneth99
Summary: Comment if you like the story or want it be continued : After Isabella's death, Phineas starts dreaming of her beckoning him into a manor called the Manor Of Memories, soon he encountered the many tortured souls that fell victim to the curse of memories and soon Ferb and the rest of the gang are dragged into the nightmare as well. Thanks in advanced for comments and helpful tips.
1. Hour 1: The Bad Daydream

Hour 1: The Bad Daydream

"I'm sorry…why did I let you go…" "It's my fault…. It's my fault…" Phineas heard the phrases in his head again and again, calling out to him in a sad and mournful tone. Phineas opened his eyes, adjusting to the dim settings that his eyes encountered, he felt himself lying on a crude bed of hay. Phineas groggily stood up, examining his surroundings. He wasn't in his cozy bedroom in Danville, instead he was in cold and dark cell, lit by only a few candles. A door stood in front of him, he tried pulling it. Locked. As he examined the room looking for a way to get out, a soft voice called out to him.

'You must escape…' and he spun around, a pale looking girl with a white flowing dress was peeking through the slit of the door. 'The priestess of memories…the failure of the ceremony…' said the girl speaking in an almost inaudible tone. 'What priestess? What ceremony? He cried but it was too late as the girl slowly faded away into oblivion. Suddenly, he heard a snap of a lock and the door creaked open. Taking a few cautious steps,he walked out of the room and into an old hallway. The hallway was eerily lit by candles that seem to never melt, as he continued walking down the hallway, he noticed a candle on a small dish that was placed on the floor, he gently picked it up and slowly illuminated his way down the hall.

Soon he arrived at the end of the hallway, a person stood there, her back was turned but Phineas recognized her immediately, it was Isabella dressed in that same purple and white dress, but this time there was blood and dirt smeared all over the dress, all because of that fateful accident with….. "Isabella!" Phineas cried, Isabella slowly turned around, her face had a blank and vacant look, she looked as if she had been crying for hours on end. "Phineas…. I must go" She whispered and she slowly started to fade, Phineas rushed towards her, "I'm not going to lose you again!" but it was too late, as soon as their hands touched, Isabella was gone, Phineas fell on his knees, tears falling from his face. "Why did I let you go… It's my fault…..It's my fault…." Phineas sobbed. "Now you know….the pain of memories….." a raspy voice behind him called. Phineas turned around and caught a glimpse of hell.

A woman dressed in a white gown and her head adorned with a wreath of withered flowers but that what really stood out was the massive blotches and streaks of blood that covered most of the gown, her neck looked broken and her hands had wooden spikes impaled through her palms, Phineas walked back slowly, but there was nowhere to go,he dropped the candle in fright, the room was swallowed by darkness. His heart was racing, he tried to make out where the woman was but all he could hear was muttering, with a flash of lightning, he saw the woman again, she shrieked: 'Share my suffering!" and leapt towards Phineas, Phineas screamed and feel her body smothering him, he gasped for air but failed, his mind become blank and his vision became black


	2. Hour 2: Death's Embrace

Hour 2- Death's Embrace

Phineas woke up screaming, he felt himself sweating and his heart racing. "Was it all just a dream." He asked himself. He cast his gaze to the left where Ferb's bed was left unmade and Perry was again nowhere in sight. As he got out of bed, he could still feel the cold touch of that woman on his bare skin, the mere thought of it made him shiver, it was hard to believe that it was all just a mere dream. Opening up his cupboard, he took out a dark suit wrapped in a clear plastic wrapping, he only saved the suit for special occasions when death was involved.

Phineas stood there, in a circle with everyone who knew Isabella. It was slightly drizzling and black umbrellas popped open like flowers. Phineas walked slowly towards the coffin and there lay Isabella, her eyes closed in forever peace, wearing a simple white gown with a small jeweled tiara, she looked like Sleeping Beauty, but this time no kiss would save her life. Isabella's mother was crying here eyes out, thankfully she hadn't seen Phineas yet, or she would have to be held back as she screamed profanity and curses at Phineas. He felt someone pat his shoulder and he saw the face of Ferb , fresh tears springing from his eyes after seeing Isabella laying in the coffin. The boys hugged tightly, Phineas feeling comforted by Phineas warm and tight hug. Ferb had never blamed Phineas for the accident, he provided comfort and advice in Phineas's sleepless nights and was the only person Phineas spoke days after the accident. As the priest said Isabella's final rites, the grave was lowered slowly into the ground, the last Phineas saw of Isabella, her peaceful face, forever in peace. As the ceremony came to a close, Phineas was walking back to Ferb's car. After the accident, Phineas made no intention to continue driving as the memories of that day were just too painful.

They drove back in silence, the clouds were bleak and grey and soft rain was pattering against the windows. Ferb made an effort to start a conversation but was only greeted by silence. After the accident, Phineas had lost the spirit to invent and create, unfinished projects scattered the garage, never to see the light of day. As they arrived home, Linda and Lawrence were waiting outside. Linda went up to Phineas and tried to say something but looking at his bleak and vacant expression and with Lawrence's grip tightening on her shoulder, she decided against it, she had been pressuring him ever since the accident occur, she still remember that night when Isabella was pronounced dead, there was a scream fest within the Flynn household and screams and crashes rang throughout the house. Phineas slowly trodded upstairs to his room, Ferb trailing behind, as they reached the room and locked the door. Phineas lost control of himself, he let out a wild scream and overturned a coffee table, "WHY DID SHE HAD TO DIE?! IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME! IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME!" he slumped on the floor, tears gushing from his eyes. Ferb sat there the whole time, comforting him, but deep down Ferb knew that Phineas would never be the same again. After hours of sobbing, Phineas finally collapsed on the bed, exhausted from the events of the day, trying to escape the bitter realm of reality.


	3. Hour 3: The Camera Of Spirits

Fragment 3: The Camera Of Spirits

Phineas stirred and found himself on the floor, he found himself in a dark hallway lit by only candles. 'It's this place again…' Phineas whispered. He stood up, the pendent feeling cool on his skin, he clutched the pendent tightly and walked down the hallway, as he arrived at the end of the hallway, Phineas felt very uneasy, he suddenly saw a glint in the light, he edged towards it slowly and saw a camera as he brushed against the camera, he heard a piercing scream and a white light flashed. 'The camera….can see….things…..that …no one…..can' a raspy voice whispered. ' To…banish…the….spirits…that….seek …..vengeance. The raspy voice laughed, slowly it began to laugh louder and louder until it reached into a maniacal cackle then everything went black.

Phineas awoke feeling numb, what was that? He asked himself, he stood up, feeling slightly groggy then he saw the camera again on the floor, he edged towards the camera and touched it and jumped back, when nothing happen he warily picked up the camera, the camera appeared very old, there was dust and scratches all over the lens, on the rim of the lens a series of symbols were engraved, on the top right corner of the peephole, a piece of filament was encased in glass. Somehow he could feel some form of power coming from the camera. Suddenly, he heard a noise coming from a door the end of the hallway, a sound of soft footsteps ringed throughout the hallway. "Hello?' Phineas said. Silence was the reply, his instincts kicked in and he decided to follow the footsteps. As he opened the door, he arrived at a large grand parlor, I've been here before… Phineas thought. The sound of soft footsteps resonated around the room, Phineas tracked the source of the noise and found it was coming from above a flight of rickety wooden stairs on the left corner of the parlor, ascending slowly, he reached a room upstairs that was just as damaged and desolate as room below, what made the hairs on the back of neck stand was the red writing streaked all over the walls repeating the same message: "Why did I let her go?" In the middle of the room a book with a faded picture of a young lady smiling with a sweet girl dressed in a fluffy pink dress, he opened the book and the contents read:

She's gone…gone from my grasp. Why did I let her go to the park alone? When they came back with the body.. I just cried and cried. But now I see her…I can see her in my mind, I can see her smiling, she's calling me to follow her to escape my suffering, to escape my pain…'

Who are these people? he wondered. The picture's setting didn't look very old, perhaps it had been taken about 2 or 3 months ago. Suddenly, he heard the soft footsteps following by some muttering coming from the door in the right side of the room, he slowly walked towards the room and he peeped through the crack, he saw hundreds of drawings posted on the wall, a few news clippings but he could not make out what they were saying in the center of the room sat a woman with fair brown hair and dressed in a white shirt and beige pants, she was crying and muttering inaudible words, Phineas opened the door, but a crack from the warped door made him jump, the woman sat up abruptly and stared right at Phineas, he jumped back stumbling onto the floor, 'so…you took my daughter….' A voice exclaimed , Phineas turned around, the woman was standing by the stairs, his only way out, Phineas couldn't respond, his heart was pounding in fear, 'WHERE IS SHE?!" She shrieked, her eyes turning bloodshot and she looked like a crazed witch, she leaped at Phineas and he screamed.


	4. Hour 4: Nightmares Of Their Past

Hour 4: Nightmares Of Their Past

A flash of white light burst throughout the entire room, a wild shriek followed as Phineas opened his eyes, he saw the ghost lady screaming and backing off, her hands covering her face, then Phineas saw the camera react, the symbols on the lens glowing a fiery blue, this camera can harm ghosts? Phineas thought. He picked up the camera, feeling an intense power resonating from the camera, through the viewfinder he locked onto the spirit woman, now shrieking and running towards him, just before the woman clawed him, he clicked the shutter, sending a powerful white light at the woman, she screeched and toppled to the ground, she begun to fade slowly, until she was lost in oblivion, the last thing Phineas heard was soft crying and the repeating words: Why did I?

With the lady gone, he entered the room where the woman was originally in and he examined the room, finding the drawings were drawings of flowers and scenery drawn by a child while the newspaper clipping were all about a kidnapping at Orchid Park, one article particularly caught his eye:

Woman Loses Mind After Daughter's Disappearance

Michelle Anderson, mother of Patrica Anderson suffered a mental breakdown after her daughter's body was found in Orchid Park, it is suspected that she was murdered and the killer dumped her body under the slides. Michelle reports that she sees her daughter in her dreams, beckoning her to follow her to a "happy place" doctors say that she is delusional from the event, but Jane keeps insisting the idea. She has been placed in Juniper Hospital until further notice.

So this woman has been seeing her daughter in her dreams? Phineas wondered. As he walked out of the room, there was a certain shift in pressure under the floorboard he didn't notice before, under closer inspection there a was a trap door with a ladder leading down, suddenly, Phineas heard the soft crying coming from below, he should have backed away, closed the trapdoor and pretended her didn't hear it, but curiosity got the best of him, Phineas slowly descended down the ladder, his body swallowed by the looming darkness. He arrived in a very narrow corridor, he sucked in his stomach and edged sideways towards the sounds of the cries. Soon he arrived at a small door and opened a to a room splattered with fresh blood, in the corner a young girl was crying and to Phineas's shock bleeding from various parts of her body, he reached out to touch her, the primal instinct to help those in need kicked in, when Phineas clasped her shoulder the little girl looked up and Phineas stumbled back in fright, her face was brutally stabbed multiple times, to the point where her facial feature could barely be recognized, the little girl uttered a plea for help but Phineas didn't listen, he was busy scrabbling for the door. A whisper of pure malice was heard right behind him, he turned around slowly and saw the face of the mother, she shrieked and grabbed his shoulders and Phineas gasped.

It was like his life was being sucked out of his very body, fatigue and nausea plagued him, if he didn't break away there was the possibility of blacking out, with all his might he struggled free and life rushed back into his aching body, Phineas was panting, he didn't want that to happen again, the woman lunged again but this time he was prepared, he rolled to the side and raised the camera and a bright light flashed, causing the woman to once again shriek in pain, he clicked the shutter again and again the woman backing away further into a corner, until suddenly, the lens shone a fiery red and the woman seemed to be sucked into the camera itself, there was a piercing howl and then silence, there was a whirr from the bottom of the camera and an undeveloped picture popped out from the slit underneath, it was difficult to see the picture but it looked like a sobbing person.

Where the woman stood lay a withered book, which appeared to be a diary.

April 12th

I can't believe she's gone, gone where the spirits rest. I imagined hearing her voice calling out to me, but then again maybe I'm just tired

April 13th

I see her in my dreams, calling me to embrace her, to heal her wounds, but I need to go into the manor, buts it's so cold, I may not come back…

April 14th

I see this woman in a white dress splattered with fresh blood, she's calling me to reunite with Patrica, I can't take it anymore , I need to go in, I need to see her again just one more time

April 15th

It was a mistake going in, I see the marks…I'm doomed….but I can finally be reunited with Patrica. I hear her calling me now….

Suddenly Phineas felt a extreme chill from the pendent on his chest, the surrounding room grew darker, the candles began to dim, the air became chillier, a raspy voice was heard: 'Memories…. Do You want to relive your memories?' He turned around and a chilling sight greeted him. The lady in the white dress with fresh blood dripping off the fabric, her face, the picture of pure wickedness. 'Do you want to see him again?' the lady crooned, Suddenly an image of Isabella appeared, looking forlorn his eyes beckoning Phineas to follow him. 'No…no…' Kenny backed away, but there was no escape. 'Join him, relive the memories you once shared…' The lady persuaded Phineas, blood was now flowing from her face and other parts of her body. She suddenly lunged towards Phineas. "Wake me up!" Phineas screamed, there was a flash of cold and his vision turn a pure white.


	5. Hour 5: The Disappearance

Hour 5: The Dissaperance

Phineas gasped for air as he awoken from his bed, the looked at his surroundings, outside the moon was shining with a creepy yet beautiful glimmer. Ferb was still snoring away, oblivious to the events that happened to him, getting up from bed, something was reflecting light, turning on his bedside lamp, he almost jumped up in fright. The Camera Obscura with a piece of undeveloped film and withered diary lay on his tabletop. So…it..it wasn't a dream, but how did these items come, weren't they just in a dream… Phineas sat there, his hands slowly edged towards the camera, it felt cool in his hands, but that power that resonated before just wasn't there anymore, he tried clicking the shutter but it was unresponsive, he examined the film and saw a blurry picture of a crying woman and the withered diary was illegible, but he could make out a few words that showed that the diary belonged to the woman he saw in his dream. Phineas thought hard about what had occurred but he decided it was a problem for the next day, tucking the items away into his drawer, he pulled the covers and went back to sleep.

The next day, when Phineas awoken, he grabbed the piece of musty film and headed downstairs to the basement where Candance's before she moved out with Jeremy makeshift photo lab which was basically a dark room with it's windows boarded up. Still remembering the process Candance showed him, he carefully developed the piece of film until at last, a black and white picture showed but what was chilling about the photo was that the crying woman looked just like the one in his dream. Could I find something about this woman? Phineas wondered as he stared at the picture.

The lights of the garage flickered when Phineas turned on the switch, on the floor of the garage, various inventions were stored away covered in black protective sheets. Phineas looked at the inventions with a heavy heart, before the accident him and Ferb would build something every week, he still remembered the laughs, the oohs and ahhs from his friends whenever he showed them their new inventions, but now that was just a shattered memory, lost in the oblivion of his mind. Reaching the corner of the garage, he took off the black protective layer and blew the dust covering the machine. It was something they made last summer, a supercomputer that could instantly recognize a face and provide various details about that person. Slotting in the picture, there were whirr and clunks coming from the machine but finally a list of data popped up.

Her name was Michelle Anderson, the same name in the diary in the dream and it appeared she was in a mental institution but was released 3 weeks ago and now she lived about 20 minutes away from the house. Maybe she would know what's going on with my dreams; after all she may have some connection since she did appear in my dream…. Phineas thought. Phineas shouted for his brother to grab the car keys.

"Are you sure, Phineas? This place looks kind of…. shady." Ferb remarked. When they arrived at the house that Michelle was supposed to live in, they found the house was a complete mess. Windows were shattered and the garden looked long dead and the lawn was covered in boxes of take out boxes. " It should be ok… I'll just go return this wallet to this woman and we can go ok?" Phineas said. He hadn't explained to his brother about the dreams and the situation he was in, he decided that it should be a matter to be kept within closed doors, the only reason Ferb agreed to send him here was to "return" a wallet. As Phineas got out of the car, a chilling wind blew. He slowly made his way down the driveway and noticed the sky getting darker. An omen perhaps? Phieneas wondered. He arrived at a rickety door and knocked on it hard. There was silence at first but then he heard hands scrabbling at the locks and words being muttered. When the door was opened, Phineas almost recoiled in digust. The woman, or it could have been something else standing before him was ungroomed and untrimmed, she wore a faded white dress that looked stained in a brown goo, her face had multiple scars and her eyes were bloodshot. "Yes, my love? Can I help you?" she said in a strained voice. "Yes…. I was wondering, are you Michelle Anderson" Phineas said, trying not to shudder at the woman's appearance. "Yes, yes I am! Why I am Michelle, am I! Come on in!" she shouted yanking Phineas into the dark recess of the house before he could scream.

The house, inside was worse. Furniture, broken into pieces were scattered around the house; the walls were torn with frantic writing and symbols covering the wall. "So dearie! What would you like to know!" she said with a mad look in her eyes. "I…I….wanted to know if you've been having dreams about a manor, I keep seeing you in my dreams, looking for someone, I wanted to know if you-" "Oh! You were in the manor!" Michele suddenly shrieked. "Oh this is wonderful! Someone else has fallen prey to the Curse Of Memories!" Michelle suddenly started doing a mad dance, laughing like a demonic child. "Once you enter the manor, there is no escape, your memories will pull you deeper and deeper into its heart, and when you finally reach the end…" a sly smile curled at her lips. "You lost your daughter right? I've seen you in the manor and I've seen your daughter as well…" Phineas said with a strained voice. "You've seen Patricia!" Michelle cried in mad glee. "When this is over, I'll be with her forever, no more medicine! No more doctors! No more therapies! Just utter bliss…" said Michelle as tears began to streak down her face. Suddenly, a black mark appeared on Michelle's forehead, and then another appeared on both her hands and two appeared on her chest and stomach. "My time here has ended, I must now join my Patricia in the other world, the curse has taken full control of me and I must leave…." Michelle said more tears gushing from her eyes. Suddenly, tattoo markings start to cover her skin, to Phineas's shock. Starting from the marks on her body; soon they covered her whole body. "You will never truly escape your memories, they will always haunt you, no matter how hard you run!" she suddenly shrieked. Her body pulsated a bright light that seemed to fill the whole room, Phineas was transfixed on Michelle's glowing body, unable to tear his eyes away from the sight. Michelle gave a wild screech and a flash of white light blinded Phineas. When his vision returned, Phineas scanned the room, only silence was heard, Michelle was gone.

After seeing the white light, Ferb jumped out of the car and rushed down the driveway of the house, he flung open the door and all that he saw was Phineas kneeling on the floor next to a charred, black mark that looked like a remnants of a charred body.


	6. Hour 6: The Subduing Song

Hour 6: The Subduing Song

They didn't speak on the ride home. Ferb didn't want to press answers from Phineas yet, he felt it wasn't the right time to go full interrogation on Phineas. At dinner in the Flynn household, Phineas was barely picking at his food when a sudden news broadcast appeared on television.

"Welcome to Danville News at 8, today an alarming incident happened on Denver Street when nearby eyewitness's saw a bright light pulsating from the house of Michelle Anderson. An eyewitness stated that after the loss of her daughter, she hadn't been the same often cooping up inside her house for days on end. No one has yet to find Michelle Anderson and the only evidence the police have is a black marking on the ground shaped like a human being, we'll now take you live to Benny Williams our field reporter who-" Phineas grabbed the remote and turned off the television, he shoved his chair backwards and rushed upstairs. Lawrence and Linda looked at each other with concerned faces and they both knew that they had to have a chat with him at some point.

Phineas threw himself on his bed, the events of today had shaken him and he just wanted to sleep and escape into the world of dreams where he would be safe, but was it truly safe in the recess of his mind?

Phineas awoken again, he was once again in the same room under the trap door. Groggily he stood up and walked around the room. Another door appeared before and it opened up into what it seemed like another very long hallway. As Phineas walked down the hallway, he eyes were transfixed on the paintings that were on the wall. They were all girls, dressed in white flowing dress and their heads, hands, chest and stomach were marked with black ink. When he reached the end of the hallway, a chilling sight greeted him. It was another painting but the glass was smashed and red writing was scrawled all over the painting: "You can never escape the memories." was written again and again filling the entire painting and the girl's face was ripped off the painting. Moving on from the gory scene, Phineas opened the door at the end of the hallway and it opened up to a large courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard, a dead twisted tree stood covered in snow and surrounding in were straw dolls impaled on sticks with a piece of paper attached to each of them. On both sides of the courtyard were two hallways and at the end was a large double door. Suddenly, Phineas saw Michelle standing at the double doors; he heard a voice seemingly calling out to her. She turned around and saw Phineas, a smile touched her lips and tears began to streak down her face and she just walked through the doors.

As Phineas approached the door, he noticed thick ropes lashed around the door, papers were plastered across the door and a strange presence was pulsing from the door, when Phineas tried opening it, it would not even budge an inch as if a powerful force was pulling from the other side. As Phineas pondered over this, he suddenly heard singing, a sweet yet sad tone was echoing around the courtyard and it was coming from the right hallway from the courtyard. As he approached the hallway, the singing became louder and louder until he reached a small red door on the right of the hallway, now he could clearly hear the melody. A little girl seemed to be singing it, accompanied by a clanging sound of a hammer hitting something.

"Sleep priestess lie in peace,

Sleep priestess lie in peace

If you cry, the boat you'll ride,

The last trip to the other side,

Once you get there, sacred marks you'll bear,

They shall be peeled, should you fail to lie still."

This verse seemed to be chanted again and again, never ending. Phineas tried opening the door but again it seemed to be held shut by a powerful force. On the door, he could see a doll soaked in red liquid, violently impaled on the door with black markings covering the whole doll, This or something else, was preventing Phineas from opening the door. Suddenly, the Camera Obscura seemed to vibrate in energy, a blue glow was coming from the piece of filament, it seemed to be reacting to the doll, Phineas raised the camera and aimed at the doll, the lens were a fiery blue and he took a picture, the image in the viewfinder suddenly warped and changed. it was a picture of a destroyed painting, with red marks and the face of the painting ripped off, somehow the camera was telling him to go to this location. As Phineas start to walk back to the courtyard, an apparition appeared in front of him, it was Isabella, looking sad and lonely, beckoning Phineas to follow. Phineas rushed towards the apparition of Isabella but she disappeared before Phineas could get to her, all that's was left was a glowing light that rose into the air and suddenly in entered Phineas's body. "Phineas, I'm so lonely, join me Phineas, follow me where we will be together forever and I won't be just…. another memory." Isabella's voice echoed in his head before slowly fading into nothing.

"Isabella…. I just wanted to see you again one more time, just one more time…." Phineas whispered to himself repeatedly before slowly making his way back to the Hall Of Paintings. When he arrived back at the hallway, he approached the destroyed painting, a strange resonance was emitting out of the painting, and once again, the Camera Obscura shone a fiery blue, Phineas raised the camera to snap a picture, there was a whirring sound from the camera and an undeveloped picture popped out, it was hard to make out but it appeared to be another painting in the picture. All of a sudden, the hallway become darker, the candles didn't illuminate as much and the room was as quiet as a graveyard. As Phineas turned around to his right, he saw the bloody woman in the flowing dress again, he stood there in utter shock, he wanted to run but his legs wouldn't allow it, they stood there, frozen in their positions. Then, she charged.

Phineas tried running, but it seemed that he could only run in slow motion. Everything slowed down, he could hear his heart beating rapidly, his brain screaming at him to flee, but the woman was inching closer and closer, marks similar to the ones Michelle had suddenly appeared on her body as her fingers brushed against Phineas's shoulder.

It was like being stabbed by an ice cold dagger, cold stabbed at the point were she touched Phineas's shoulder, he could feel life draining out of him as if he was going to pass out at any point. Suddenly, the world wasn't in slow motion anymore, Phineas's raced towards the door, his heart pounding and his legs aching, as soon as he raced towards the door, he slammed it shut and collapsed on the ground in exhaustion. Phineas couldn't stand or move, he could just only just lay there. He was fearful that the woman would follow him to the courtyard and finish him off, but after a few moments, the woman had seemed to disappeared. Once he regained some energy back, he made he way back to the small red door and found that the doll covering it had disappeared and it could be openly freely. Opening the door, he arrived in a tiny room, it's wall filled with dolls stained in red blood and various messages scrawled on them, on one side was an altar with burning candles and a glass case .The singing in the room was getting louder but there seemed to be no one in the room. In the center of the room laid a diary bound with red cord.

Red Diary (1)

It's finally happening soon, the other Stakemaidens and I are finally going to impale a real priestess for the Ritual Of Memories; I'm really quite excited as many people have many Memory Dolls they wish to cast off with the priestess. Preparations are taking place right now as we speak and everyone seems to have a festive mood about it, not that I'm not happy, it's just that I' m curious why many are so interested in the death of one.

Danica

The singing in the room got louder and louder and Phineas began to grow dizzy, he crashed onto the floor, the singing almost breaking his eardrums. Just before he was about to black out, he saw a young girl in a red and white kimono, looking forlorn at the altar.


	7. Hour 7: The Manor Of Memories

Hour 7: The Manor Of Memories

Phineas woke up with a scream, he wasn't in the little red room anymore he was back in his Danville room. Phineas looked over and saw his brother's neatly made bed empty. As he was getting out of bed, a sudden searing pain overcame Phineas, he screamed and toppled over, it felt like liquid fire was running through his veins. As he scrabbled to grab hold of the dresser, he suddenly saw a black mark; with odd symbols appear on his forehead and as soon as he blinked it was gone. Was it just an illusion? Or…" Phineas couldn't explain it. Glancing towards the table where the Camera Obscura sat, lay a diary and a piece of film underneath the camera. So it wasn't a dream…I was actually at that manor, and the priestess, she…." he refused to think any further about the matter.

As Phineas trotted down the stairs, he noticed Ferb standing by the window that overlooked the backyard, he was holding some sort of pendent in one of his clenched fists. As Phineas grew closer, he heard Ferb was singing softly, watching the rain patter against the glass.

"Sleep priestess lie in peace,

Sleep priestess lie in peace

If you cry, the boat you'll ride,

The last trip to the other side,

Once you get there, sacred marks you'll bear,

They shall be peeled, should you fail to lie still."

Ferb seemed to be singing the same verse again and again, just like Phineas heard in his dream. When Ferb suddenly noticed Phineas, he quickly slipped the pendent into his pocket and gave Phineas a weak smile. "Oh, good morning, how are you?" said Ferb. "That song… how do you know that song?" Phineas asked. "Oh…I heard it somewhere before, I think it was in a dream? I can't really remember, but never mind about that. By the way, Candance called, he say he wanted to meet at the mall at 12, you want to tag along?" Ferb said. "Yeah, sure let me just change and get some stuff ready first?" Phineas said. After changing, Phineas headed back to the photo lab to develop the old film he obtained. Soon after, the photo clearly showed a painting of a girl in a white flowing gown, with her head, chest, hands and stomach marked with black symbols. "Maybe Candance may know something about this…" Phineas said to himself.

"I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the funeral, I was in in some remote part of Japan doing some research on the local myths and folklore there, it was tiring, but I felt it was a rewarding experience." Candance said. Phineas, Ferb and Candance were currently at Slushie Dawg having hot dogs and slushies like they usually do every now and then. After they grew up, they spend less and less time together, only coming together if an important event came up. "Well, I was wondering if you could do something for me…" Phineas said placing the picture on the table. "Just wondering if you could do some research on this photo for me, it can be anything, just find as much information as you can. Phineas said. Candance examined the photo for a while, "This might not be a coincidence, but this picture may have some relation to what I'm researching now."Candance said. "Really? You've seen this before?" Phineas said. "I think this has some connection to The Manor Of Memories, an urban folklore of Japan. I have some files and records about this with me at my house, lets go." Candance said.

After a short drive, they pull up at a quaint beige colored house. "Is Jeremy back yet?" Ferb asked. "No, not yet, he's still in England working on some business of expanding Slushie Dawg to the UK." Candance said while unlocking the door to the house. Candance's house was like any other house on the block, a few family photos on the wall, and several knick-knacks on the fireplace and some tea whistling merrily in a pot. Following Candance, they walked up a flight of stairs before reaching a study room, with files and books arranged neatly on shelves. Taking out a file named: "Manor Of Memories" she proceeded to take out two tapes, both in worn condition and gave them to Phineas. "You might want to listen to these, see if they match your description of the manor you were dreaming about, I continue to dig around and probably come up with some information as soon as possible." Candance said. Phineas was slightly surprised at her sister's interest in the topic, but decided not to say anything otherwise. "Alright, I'll come by again next week." Phineas said as they bid their sister goodbye.

Back home, when Phineas was alone in his room, he took out an old tape cassette and slotted in the first tape. There was a hiss of static, before a woman voice could be heard

"In my dream… I saw…my mother. She was beckoning me to follow her into this manor. There were many people entering the manor, it was cold and snowing outside, if….I didn't follow I would have been left behind, so I entered the manor. I saw her beckoning again, persuading me to enter deeper into the manor I couldn't resist… I had…. To see her….one more time…..just one more time…. As she…went further and further into the manor, she arrived at a door and I knew….if I followed her, I would never be able to go back.

With a click, the tape ended. Could this woman have experienced the same dream as him? Where a loved one would beckon the living to follow them to the other world? Where there was no going back? He pondered this for a moment before slotting in the next tape. This time, it was a man who sounded exhausted.

" Yes… I don't think I'll ever sleep again….. That manor… It was so cold…. So dark… then within the manor, I saw her. She was wearing a bloodied gown, and her face… it was like every drop of sanity was drained from her face, I tried to run but… it seemed… time itself had slowed down… she reached out to touch me… and…her touch was as cold as ice… it felt like I was stabbed by an icicle.. Then suddenly I woke up… An incredible pain overcame me, then I saw the mark! That mark! Don't you understand!? I'm cursed by that woman!, the tattoo has spread too far, there! There! Don't you see it spreading to my arm, don't you-"

The voice was cut off with a volley of agonizing screams, he could hear a chair being tossed around and someone asking the man to calm down, a final scream and then the tape abruptly cut off. Phineas just sat there, his heart was pounding in his chest. He didn't want to think about the possible horrifying conclusion. Could he really be? No, it couldn't be. Phineas thought. Phineas decided it was time for bed after the events of the day, but little did he know that his sanctuary of sleep to escape the cruel modern world has become a living nightmare that will not escape.


	8. Hour 8: The Vacant Dream

Hour 8: The Vacant Dream

"No… no this dream again…" "It can't be this dream again…" As Ferb opened his eyes, his worst fears were confirmed. He was back in that manor, he was currently in a large grand parlor but most of it were in ruins, he had been dreaming about it for two days, he didn't want to go into the manor, but Danielle was calling out to him, from deep within the manor, he just had to see her again, he had to say to her….

As he walked through the parlor, he entered a long hallway with it's beams tied with ropes, long ropes were dangling from the ceiling, some were stained with blood. Ferb shuddered when he saw those as if it stirred a bad memory, he quickly walked through the hall, trying to get away as fast as possible. Suddendly at the middle of the hallway, there was a glowing light floating just a few feet above the ground, transfixed by it, Ferb went closer and closer until suddenly, the glowing light absorbed through his skin and his vision became white.

"Mother… I need to find you…" those words echoed through his brain. An image appeared in front of him, it was him, but at a much younger age, he was walking slowly through the same hallway filled with ropes, his face tense and scared. Suddenly, one of the ropes coiled around his leg and yanked hard, he fell onto the ground and the more ropes start to coil around him, he was being suffocated, , the ropes coiled tighter and tighter, he couldn't scream, he couldn't breathe. Suddenly, there was another flash of light and Ferb found himself lying on the ground, he was panting heavily. No… not that memory, I…I don't want to remember." He scrabbled to his feet and started running, he had to get away from this place, he had to… He arrived at the end of the hallway that was adorned with a large mirror and his eyes were locked on the object he swore never to touch again, The Camera Obscura. He gently picked up the camera and a shudder ran through him, so many bad memories, he didn't want recall the horrors he had been through. As he looked up to face the mirror, he noticed someone behind him, the blood drained from his face. It was the lady in the bloody white gown.

Ferb stifled a scream and spun around, but she wasn't there anymore. Feeling a sense of urgency to get out of the place. Ferb turned right and exited through the door. He arrived at another door, this time the door was painted red. Beyond the door. Ferb could hear a soft voice singing a verse repeatedly followed by a clanging sound.

"Sleep, Priestess, Lie in peace.  
Sleep, Priestess, Lie in peace.  
If the Priestess wakes from her dream,  
Perform the rite of daggers.  
Her limbs pinned tight,  
Lest the doors open wide,  
And suffering unleashed on all."

Opening the door, Ferb was taken aback by the number of red dolls that were pinned or rather impaled onto the walls of the room. In the corner of the room was an altar with a glass case and as Ferb peered closer, it appeared to be an intricately carved dagger resting within the case. Suddenly, Ferb noticed the camera seemed to react strongly near the dagger display case, raising the camera, the lens shone a fiery blue and a click indicated the photo was taken. After a slight whirr, an undeveloped picture popped out of what appears to be a dagger in photograph. "The ritual must be completed, the priestess must be sacrificed…" said a voice behind him. Ferb spun around and saw a girl standing there, dressed in a red and white gown holding a hammer and a stake. "You are interfering with our ritual, so you must DIE!" she suddenly snarled, lunging at Ferb trying to impale him through the heart.

Ferb rolled out of the way, instinctively raising his camera. A sudden bright light flashed and the girl screamed in pain. Another flash erupted from the camera and the girl was howling in pain, recoiling into a corner "Go to hell.." Ferb whispered and as the lens burst into a red flare, he took a shot and a shriek was heard as the girl was sucked into the camera itself. A whirr and another undeveloped photo popped out, this time is it of a girl, seemingly hammering away at something. Where the girl was standing, a diary was left behind

Blue Diary (1)

Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill? Why kill?

The entire diary seemed to be repeating the exact same words, each page more frantic then the next. After scanning the room, he found a door and found that it lead to a large room that was empty other than a stone slab. As Ferb walked through the large room he suddenly noticed a woman standing there, she gave Ferb a gentle smile, she looked British and wore and beige shirt and pants, even from a far distance, he instantly recognized who it was. He rushed towards her, tears in his eyes but before he could reach her, she passed through the door. Ferb slumped to the ground, sobbing quietly, "I just want to see you again, but if the cost is to lose myself from the world I know…" Suddenly , he was aware of presence behind him, he turned around slowly and saw the woman in the bloody gown. "You will now know the pain of memories…" All he could do was scream.

When Ferb came to, he was suddenly chained to the stone slab, he was wearing a white colored robe. All of a sudden, he noticed four girls beside him, all with sharp pointed stakes and hammers. As the girls positioned themselves, a sudden tattoo started spreading over his skin, Ferb struggled to get free but it was all in vain, one of the girls raised an intricate dagger, it was aimed straight at Ferb's heart. The tattoo was now spread over Ferb's entire body, Ferb screamed but no sound came out, "May your soul cast off our memories into the planes of the other world." whispered the girl before plunging the blade into Ferb's heart.


	9. Hour 9: The Curse Of Memories

Hour 9: The Curse Of Memories

"Ferb!" Phineas screamed as his eyes shot open, he jumped out of bed, he felt a sharp pain on his shoulders, but ignored it and rushed to Ferb's side. Ferb was sobbing at the corner of the room, his hands buried in his face. "I don't want…to remember." Ferb muttered. "Ferb, I had a dream… about you and I saw…" before Phines could finish his sentence, Ferb uncovered his face and Phineas gasped. A large tattoo was covering his face, spreading down his body. Suddenly, the tattoo had begun to fade and then it was totally gone. Phineas grabbed Ferb and held him close, both of them crying their eyes out. "What's…. happening to me?" Ferb whispered. "I don't know… I don't know" Phineas muttered.

After Phineas had calmed down slightly, Phineas went to develop the two photos Ferb had taken in the manor. After an hour of painstaking work, he finally developed the two pictures. One look like an ornate dagger while the other was a little girl dressed in a red and white gown, holding a hammer and gruesomely impaling a hand with a stake. Phineas decided to take them to Candace's house for further investigation on the matter. Upon arrival, Phineas went in and found Candace missing. A mug of hot coffee sat and files scattered around the table. Two files sitting on the corner caught Phineas's eye and he decided to read them. The first one, clearly labeled was called The Manor Of Memories.

The Manor Of Memories

A Report By Candace Flynn

During my course to Japan, I've found out there's a very famous urban legend located in the Shinto region. Going there, it turns out that there used to be a manor called the Manor Of Memories, where a ritual called The Crossing Of Memories occurs. This entire ritual is unknown but what I've found out is that every year, a priestess is chosen but it cannot be just any ordinary priestess. She must has firstly no bonds left in this world, no family members must exist. Next, she must endure a second ritual where pain is repeatedly inflicted on her to drain her emotions so she may bear the brunt of the emotions of the rest. After this process, people come to visit her to tell her of memories they wish to forget usually memories of pain, torture, anguish so that they may be sent with her to the other world.

For each memory, a small tattoo is made and it increases in number with each memory that is given to her to take away, eventually her whole body will be covered in tattoo, this is when the sacrifice must occur. She is taken to a chamber with a stone slab where she is impaled by five daggers, each representing a different emotion. Pain, Regret, Sorrow, Rage and Anguish and the places where she will be stabbed is marked with five symbols. She is then stabbed by Stakemaidens, young girls who help the priestess cross over to the next world. While each dagger is being stabbed, a verse of a four verse song is sung. The fifth dagger stabs the heart of the priestess after the fifth Stakemaiden has sung the entire song again. After she dies, her body is taken underground of the manor where it is not seen again.

Phineas's blood seemed to have ran cold, this manor…. The description was so familiar. Hurriedly he grabbed the second file and read it

The Curse Of Memories

A report by Candace Flynn

A similar urban legend follows the Manor Of Memories called the Curse of Memories, a product of the Manor Of Memories. Legend has it that one of the rituals failed, the priestess becoming mad from all the emotions she absorbed, massacring the entire manor. Ever since, she wanders the manor, luring people with broken souls, people who have survived disaster and have lost loved ones to the manor with memories, people who enter the manor usually aren't seen again

The legend also says that people who are touched by the priestess receives her tattoos, as the curse progresses the subject usually sleeps for a longer period of time, becomes withdrawn and eventually reach a stage where they never awaken.

Phineas threw down the file in horror, it couldn't be… when that woman touched her, those tattoo's weren't an illusion, and Isabella… was she just a memory or…. Phineas couldn't take it anymore, he yelled for Candace, but there was no reply, Phineas searched every room until he reached the bedroom where a sight so horrific greeted his eyes. Candace was in corner, trembling and she was covered in a black tattoo, she was crying and muttering under her breath. Phineas rushed towards her, "Candace! Candace! What happened?" He screamed. 'Never should have remembered… Camelia… why did I leave you…" 'Candace, you need to calm down, what happened?" Phineas said. "We are all going to die… we will never truly escape our memories no matter how

hard we hide it… We are all going to die…." Candace whispered. Phineas looked at his sister, all they could do was hug and weep. "The priestess inflicts her curse, memories she shall use, lure us with the dead, to the gates of hell we shall pass…" Candace whispered repeatedly.

Phineas decided Ferb and him should stay with Candace for a while. Candace had all the resources he needed to figure out what was going on with this Curse Of Memories. Phineas decided to check on Ferb in Candace's guest room, he saw Ferb just sitting there motionless, " Ferb, I know you're sacred, but we can get through this together alright." Ferb just stared at Phineas. "Now, this curse targets people who have been through disaster and lost loved ones, Ferb is there something your not telling me?" Phineas asked. Tears began to streak down Ferb's cheeks, "My mother, Danielle was a researcher, investigating some missing researchers who went missing at this place called Himuro Mansion, after a few days she never came back, I decided to go search for her at the Mansion, and that's where I saw her die… I thought I could keep the memory locked away but when I began dreaming of the manor, I saw her, I had to follow her, I just needed to see her one last time…" Ferb said. "Now, we are like the rest of the people who have fallen prey to the curse…" Ferb said. "Don't say that! We can beat this curse! There has to be someway to reverse the curse, maybe Candace has some files somewhere, we can beat this curse..." Phineas said. 'It's pointless Phineas… the best way for us is to accept death at it is…." Ferb muttered. "Don't you see Ferb?! The curse is making you act this way, there is a way Ferb… there is…" Phineas said on the verge of tears.


	10. Hour 10: Reika

Hour 10: Reika

" I don't want to remember…. anymore." The voice whispered in Phineas's head as Phineas woke up groggily on the floor. He was back in that small red room, he got up and walked outside towards the courtyard, and the double door gates he suddenly noticed a man standing there, "Reika…. I'm sorry I abandoned you… you should have never have been the priestess…." He slowly disappeared, leaving behind a blue glowing light. "A memory…" Phineas whispered as he cautiously approached in. All of a sudden, the ball raced towards up and absorbed into his skin, his vision suddenly became white as a vivid image formed in his head.

He heard cries and screams, arguing and a door slamming. He heard a scared child's voice whimpering, "Mummy, is daddy going to come back?" Sobs were the child's only answer. Then the image ended and his vision slowly returned to normal. Phineas felt a strange presence coming fro the double door, something cold, dark and evil. He noticed some strange etchings on the door that he had never noticed the first time.

To gain access to the priestess's lair

Five daggers must be wielded

Sing the song of slumber and peace

Then the doors of hell shall open.

Five daggers… Phineas wondered. It must be the five sacrificing daggers! He knew one was in the small red room where he originally was but the problem was finding the other 4 daggers. He quickly rushed back to the small red room but then he saw someone at the door of the red room. It was the lady in the bloody gown… "Memories, why must I bear the brunt of memories, I have received no love in life, only pain, now I bear pain as well…" she slowly vanished into thin air and left behind another memory. As Phineas approached the memory slowly, it absorbed into him and he received another vision. This time it was of the same child but much older, she had beautiful brown eyes and long flowing hair,she was looming over the dead body of her mother, a knife was in her hands, fresh with blood. "My suffering has ended…." She whispered ad she dropped the knife. All of a sudden, she fell to her knees sobbing, that's when the vision ended.

Going back into the red room, Phineas went towards the altar and opened the glass case, inside was an ornate dagger with a wicked blade, on the blade neatly etched was the word: "Regret" Phineas placed the blade away and made his way out of the room. As Phineas reentered the courtyard, he suddenly noticed….Candace walking towards the left hallway. "Candace!" he yelled as he chased after her. Phineas ran after Candace, heading down the hallway that led to a large room, but the room was splattered from corner to corner with deep dark red blood, Phineas suddenly saw Candace kneeling on the ground sobbing, "I promised… that we would be… together forever." Candace suddenly turned her head as if she heard someone calling her and she got up and ran off to the other side of the room. Phineas ran after her, trying to get her attention but it seemed like she was chasing someone that he couldn't see.

Exiting the large bloody room, Phineas arrived at what appeared to be a large double door, it was painted solid red and Phineas could hear chanting coming from within, approaching the door, Phineas could hear voices singing a verse again and again.

Go to the other side.  
Go to the other side.  
Cast the boat, take a ride.  
Cross the rift, to the other side.  
Further, and further, to the other side.  
It must sail, bearing your tattoos  
And our offering of memories.

It had to be one of the five Stakemaiden chambers, Phineas thought. With some effort, he pushed the double door open and revealed a large chamber of impaled dolls, in the center of it all was an altar with a glass case with a gleaming dagger within. As Phineas stepped in, a sudden apparition appeared in front of him, it was Reika, the priestess of memories. "I must perform…. the sacrifice of memories…. There is no hope for me in life…." And the apparition suddenly disappeared leaving behind another glowing ball. Phineas walked towards the ball and it sucked into his skin and an image formed in his head. It was Reika, she was sitting on a large chair surrounded by two women that were carrying also crude like tattoo drawing equipment, a woman appeared and was pleading to Reika, she nodded consent and the one of the two women suddenly drew a tattoo on her, it was obvious that Reika was in pain when the tattoo were drawn onto her skin but she kept her composure. When the vision ended, Phineas headed towards the altar and obtain the dagger with the words: "Pain" etched onto the blade.

As Phineas was preparing to leave the room, a sudden gust of wind blew and the double doors slammed. Phineas felt very uncomfortable all of a sudden and hastily tried to leave the room but when he tried to open the door, it would not budge. "All… tresspassers…. to the ceremony must… be….. killed" a sudden raspy voice was heard behind him. Turning around, Phineas saw a sight that almost made his blood run cold. An old woman was standing there, there were multiple ghostly hands surrounding here and she had a wicked and cruel face, her eyes gleamed red and she wore a tattered gown that had a faded tattoo pattern on it. The old woman shrieked and all of a sudden , things became pitch black, Phineas could not see in front of him. Quickly he raised his camera, trying to get the old woman. All of a sudden, two hands appeared out of nowhere, grabbing his feet that sent him crashing to the ground, the hands pulled him into the darkness, Phineas scrabbled to aim his camera and a bright white light flashed and the ghostly hands immediately let go.

Phineas hastily got up, aiming the camera around the darkness. A sudden movement behind him, made him turn just in time as the old woman was charging from behind, with a flash the old woman screamed and backed off, Phineas continued clicking, every burst weakening the old woman further, suddenly the lens flared red and Phineas pressed the camera, he heard a final shriek and the silence, a whirr and an undeveloped picture popped of a woman surrounded by five girls. Shaken, Phineas hastily put the photo in his pocket and left the room.

To the left of red double doors, there was a smaller door that led towards a small room that had a large cell that had some bookshelves and a bed on the right and another door on the left. Phineas suddenly saw Candace crouching outside the cell and talking frantically inside, as if there was someone inside. 'I'm going to get you out ok, just hang in there." Candace but she said and suddenly rushed off towards the door, Phineas called out to her but she didn't appear to hear him and was gone. Phineas was going to go after Candance, but he suddenly heard a voice behind him at the cell. " You said that we would be together….forever…." "Why are you leaving me, dear sister?" the voice called out. Phineas approached the cell and saw the person within the cell and his heart stopped when he saw what was sitting within that cell.


	11. Hour 11: Together Forever, Dear Sister

Hour 11: Together Forever, Dear Sister

The girl sitting in the cell looked exactly like Candace, but she was wearing a white shirt and red skirt and her hair was wavy, not straight like Candace's, surrounding her were a few sapphire fireflies and she had a dazed look in her eyes. Phineas tried calling out to her, but silence was is only response. Phineas decided that it was pointless calling the girl, so he decided to chase after Candace. He followed the corridor Candace ran down and he ended up in a room that seemed to have two of everything, two beds, two chairs, two mirrors… He noticed in the center of the room was two glass cases in and within them were two keys, a white sun and a black crescent moon, he tried prying open the cases but they were sealed shut, between the cases laid a metal inscription with two slots:

To open the chamber where two become one,

Offer the sun, the talisman of light,

Offer the moon, the talisman of darkness

Then both shall rise and become whole

So… I need to find these talismans, maybe there's something in here that might give me a clue… Phineas thought. He scanned a nearby bookshelf and found a book that seemed of relevance.

The Twin Sacrifice

In a village called All Gods Village, the citizens there perform a ritual that seemingly appeases the gods to ensure bountiful harvest, prevention of illnesses etc. It's called the Twin Sacrifice Ritual and it involves a pair of twins where the older twin strangles the younger twin to death.

The younger twin is sacrificed to appease the gods and she is reincarnated as a sapphire firefly, protecting the village while the older twin stays behind. The ritual is usually a secret ritual that only the select few can witness, but after getting some scraps of information , it is said that the older twin represents the dark moon and the younger one the sun, as she brings peace and prosperity to the area. Before the ritual begins, the twins must wear their respective talisman and at the doors to enter the ritual chamber, the ritual master will use two keys to unlock the door and the ritual is carried out inside away from prying eyes.

As Phineas was trying to look for more information, he heard something calling in the next room, creeping slowly he opened the door slowly to reveal Candace sitting in the room, seemingly wearing a flowing black gown with crescent moons adorning her dress. A young girl was tending to her, whispering things that only Candace could hear , a voice called out to them and Candace stood up and left the room, the young girl followed suit and after a few moments of silence, Phineas entered the room. It seemed that this room was a dressing room and as Phineas scanned the room, he noticed a small table at the far end of the room, approaching it, he saw a note written in Candace's handwriting and by the side of the note lay a pendent with the yang symbol on in

I cannot bear the brunt of leaving my sister again, ever since she began calling to me in my dreams… I tried ignoring it but the beckon was too strong, now there is no turning back. The ritual just as last time must be completed. I must be whole once again, with Camelia…

"Who is Camelia? And Candace wants to rejoin with her… She must be being lured to cross over to the Spirit World by the memories created by the priestess!" Phineas thought. He grabbed the pendent and chased away Candace. Arriving at a large gate with a yin yang symbol painted on it, he saw Candace and what appeared to be the girl in the cell who appeared to be wearing a white gown. "Candace!" he screamed and chased after her, Candace turned around and saw Phineas, tears seem to streak from her eyes as she was ushered into the chamber beyond the gate, the doors slammed just before Phineas could reach it, Phineas slammed on the door and tried to open it but it was all in vain. Two keyholes, one on each door blocked his entrance , he knew he had to get the keys from the twins room, but he still had to find the talisman of light. On Phineas's left, he noticed another corridor and he decided to follow it, he reached another room which looked very similar to Candace's room, on the table in the center of the room lay a note and a pendent with the ying symbol on it.

She's finally here, to finish what we started… We can be whole together… forever.

Underneath the note lay a photo of Candace that Phneas had never seen before, it was Candace and the same girl he saw in the cell, although they look much younger, about 13-14? He took the picture and headed back to the twins room, as he slotted the yin and yang pendent into the compartment and he heard a click, he could easily take off the glass cases and armed with the white sun and black moon key he rushed back to the chamber, hoping it wasn't too late. As he was approaching the door, Phineas felt a sudden chill behind him, "She falls… to the curse of memories.. as will you" Phineas spun around and he saw Reika, edging towards him, frantically he jammed the keys into the locks, twisting them open just before Reika lunged at him, heading into the chamber, Phineas saw Candance and Camelia standing by a large pit, a blood red cord bound by their waist. "Are you ready sister…." Camelia whispered. "We shall be-" Candance! Phineas screamed, "Don't do it, she's just an illusion, a memory!" Phineas pleaded. Candace turned around, "Phineas… I can be reunited with my sister… A memory which has burdened me throughout my life, a nightmare that has plagued me… now I can rejoice…" Candace suddenly tilted forward and fell into the pit. "NO!" Phineas shrieked as a sudden bright light blinded his vision, blanking his mind.


	12. Hour 12- Blurring The Nightmare

Hour 12: Blurring The Nightmare

Phineas screamed and woke up, it was the dead of night and Phineas felt another sharp wave of pain as he saw the marks spreading further and further than yesterday, "Candace.." he whispered and he bolted out of bed, rushing towards Candace's room he flung open the door and screamed.

Candace lay on the floor, the black marks of the curse had spread throughout her body, Phineas grabbed her shoulder and started crying, "Candace please… please wake up." But silence was his only answer. Tears streaked down his cheek and he screamed and cried at the same time, clutching Candace's lifeless body close to his chest. "She… now rests as a memory forever…" a raspy voice whispered behind him. Phineas turned his head slowly, and there stood Reika a wicked grin on her face. "You… you shouldn't be here…" Phineas croaked. "As the line between reality and dreams blur, you will forever lay in your own nightmare." Phineas scrabbled backwards, his heart pounding in his chest, trying in vain to escape Reika's clutches. "You shall never escape THE NIGHTMARE OF YOUR OWN MEMORIES!" she shrieked as her eyes glowed red and she lunged at Phineas.

Phineas screamed and all went black, "I only want to see you again…" Just one last… time" a voice whispered. Phineas suddenly opened his eyes, he was lying outside the double doors in the courtyard. "Was that a dream … or…" Phineas muttered. He groggily stood up and suddenly heard a voice, "Phineas…Phineas…." Turning backwards, he saw… Isabella. "Phineas… escape the curse… follow the singing to the dagger.." she whispered and then walked towards the left hallway, then she dissappered. Phineas followed Isabella's sprite heading down the hallway , reaching a door that lead into a room, the bulbs in the room flickered rapidly, making Phineas's eyes grow dizzy. Somewhere beyond the room, Phineas heard faint singing beyond the room but it was hard to make out where it was coming from. As Phineas stepped through the room, he heard a voice as if it was in static. "Phineas… I love you… Eventhough we are apart, I still love you…" This line kept repeating itself over and over as Phineas frantically searching for the source, finally he found it in the corner of the room in a ball of glowing light, a memory.. He approached it and it absorbed into him playing a memory.

It was before the crash, during one of their dates, Phineas and Isabella were at a lake, they sat at a bench, with Phineas's arm wrapped around Isabella's shoulder, "Isabella… I never want to let you go…" he heard himself whisper. "We'll never be apart.." She whispered and they kissed passionately, even as a memory Phineas could still feel Isabella's warm, soft reassuring lips. When the memory faded away, Phineas felt tears springing from his eyelids. "Was it never… meant to be…" As Phineas scanned the room, he finally found a door out that lead into a hallway with two doors on each side, one was a red painted door, and it seemed the singing was coming from here. Low and mournful tones rang from beyond the room as what seemed to be a lullaby being sung.

"Sleep, priestess, lie in peace  
Sleep, priestess, lie in peace  
If you cry, the boat you'll ride, the last trip to the other side,  
Once you get there, sacred marks you'll bear,  
They shall be peeled off, should you fail to lie still.

Sleep, priestess, lie in peace  
Sleep, priestess, lie in peace  
If the priestess wakes from her dream  
Perform the rite of daggers, her limbs pinned tight  
Lest the doors open wide and suffering unleashed on all.

Go to the other side  
Go to the other side  
Cast the boat, take a ride, cross the rift to the other side  
Further and further to the other side,  
It must sail bearing your tattoos and our offering of memories."

The song seemed to be repeating itself over and over again, it sounded like a very creepy lullaby, Phineas tried opening the door but alas there was another violently impaled doll on the wall, Phineas snapped a photo of it, and a blurry photo appeared, when the picture finally clear, Phineas threw the photo screaming. It was a picture of Isabella, bloody and bleeding, her eyes tearing blood, pleading with Phineas. It looked as if she was at the double doors in the courtyard. Phineas knew to break the door's seal he had to open it. He rushed back to the courtyard and noticed a bluish light appearing at the double doors, it appeared to be a memory. Phineas approached it and the memory played in his mind.

It was..no… it couldn't be… it was Phineas driving down that forsaken road. Isabella was crying, Phineas had a furious look on his face. Isabella tried speaking but Phineas silenced her with a glare. The car turned at a sharp bend, Phineas felt the car skidding, he heard Isabella screaming, everything went black. CRASH! Silence… When the memory ended, Phineas was sobbing on the ground. 'I… I never should have… I should have tried reasoning with you… I WAS A FOOL! He shrieked, slamming his fists on the ground. Suddenly, the camera began vibrating wildly, it seemed to be reacting to something. Phineas raised the camera and aimed it at the double doors, as the camera seemed to be reacting to it the strongest, a flash and a whirr and an undeveloped photo popped out that Phineas could not make out.

He decided to head back to the chamber and with the seal broken, he entered the chamber. This time instead of impaled dolls, there were impaled straw dummies. Each dummy was impaled with five daggers, each of them in the head, heart, both hands and the stomach. In the middle of it all stood an altar with another dagger. This time the dagger had the word "Rage" etched onto it. All of a sudden, the doors slammed shut, the candles blew out and the chamber was engulfed in darkness. "No one… must disturb the ritual….of memories…" an old woman's voice echoed. Phineas tried aiming his camera, but in the darkness he couldn't see anything. "DIE!" a bloody face suddenly rushed at the camera, the camera flashed and Phineas heard a wild scream. He saw the woman in the brief flash of light, old and withered, with blood streaming from her eyes. He felt something grab him from behind and it yanked him onto the floor, the camera clattered into the darkness and Phineas scrabbled to find it. All of a sudden, two hands grabbed his legs and yanked into further into the darkness, Phineas struggled but to no avail, all of a sudden, he brushed against something metallic, the camera! He raised the camera and with a flash, he heard yet another scream and the hands broke free, the screams dying away. Soon the candles flickered back and the doors could be opened. "It was that… old woman again" Phineas muttered.

As Phineas was leaving the chamber, he headed to another hallway to the right of the chamber. It lead him what seemed like a very old library. There was a musty smell and he smelled decay and mould. He tried reading some of the books, but most have faded away or have been torn. As Phineas browsed more of the books, he heard something on the second floor of the library. Walking up, it looked as if there was a person crouching in the corner, black marks were covered all over her and she was sobbing. Phineas reached out to her and she lifted her head, Phineas shrieked. It was Isabella. With bloody eyes that were pleading with him, She clutched him and rasped, "Time for your to die!" and a white light flash before him.

RING! RING! Phineas jolted awake. It was morning in Candace's house. Phineas felt a sharp rasp of pain as he knew the marks were spreading. He got out of bed and went outside, RING! RING!. The telephone downstairs was ringing. Phineas picked it up, "Hello, Johnson residence" he said. 'I should have died….." the voice at the end rasped and a wild scream was heard at the end of the receiver. Phineas dropped the phone with a clatter, as his brain wracked to figure out why he had heard Michelle's voice over the line.


	13. Hour 13- Of Daggers And Drills

Hour 13: Of Daggers and Drills

Phineas sat at Candace's kitchen table. With a mug of coffee in his hands, he sighed and rubbed his face. On the table, lay the developed pictures, three daggers and a stack of Candace's notes. Flipping through the notes again, he grabbed the developed photo of a dagger and pasted it next to Candace's notes.

The Daggers Of Impassive

When the priestess is full of the tattoos, she is brought into the Chamber of Memories for the sacrifice. Four Maidens called Dagger Maidens each wield a blade. A maiden sings a phrase from the song and proceeds the stab the priestess with a dagger, therefor binding her with that emotion she is bound to carry. The next maiden does the same while fourth maiden sings the whole song before stabbing her, the final maiden whispers: "Now lay the memories to rest." And proceeds to stab the priestess in the heart. When all five daggers have been inserted, the priestess is carried deeper into the chamber, into the gateway of the spirit world, where her body is cast off along with hundreds of candle lit paper boat, to bring the memories to the other world.

The next picture, the woman surrounded by the four maidens was pasted into another of Candace's notebook.

The Daggermaidens

The daggermaidens are young girls in charge of caring for the priestess coming up to the sacrifice day. They take care of the priestess's daily needs and on the day of the sacrifice, they impale the priestess with the daggers of impassive. They are guarded by the Chief Maiden who take cares of the whole ritual to see it's smooth success.

Phineas sighed at placed the notebooks down. How can we beat this curse? How can I save myself, Candace and Ferb? He glaced over to the daggers lying on the table. Maybe.. if I stabbed the priestess with these daggers… she would be exorcised! She would be cast off to the spirit realm and possibly… just possibly we could be saved. Phineas thought. But how do I find the other two daggers? The last three were in daggermaiden chambers, maybe… there are two more chambers elsewhere and if I could find them… It was a plan, a plan to rid them of this nightmare. He decided to go upstairs and check on Candace and Ferb. Peeking into Candace's room, he saw Candace lying on the bed, black marks covering her whole body, she fell into a deep slumber since yesterday and has not woke up ever since. "I'll find a cure…I will.." Phineas whispered to her. Checking Ferb's room, he noticed Ferb staring at the window, watching the rain pattering outside. Ferb is now sleeping more and more, only waking up for 3 to 4 hours. Phineas has tried talking to him but all he replied was, "Should I follow my memories?" The curse was getting worse and worse everyday, pretty soon Phineas knew he may lose Ferb.

"Hey, you feeling better?" Phineas said, slinging his arm over Ferb's shoulder. Ferb gazed at him and then buried his head in Phineas's chest and Phineas felt his shirt becoming damp. "We are all going to die… it's all my fault… I never should have followed her in." Ferb croaked. "Hush… it's going to be ok. We'll find a way to beat the curse, don't you remember the olden days, where we thought everything was possible? All the crazy inventions and it was all possible because… we believed." Phineas said. "But how.. how can we fight this…" Ferb whispered. A smile touched Phineas's lips, "Ferb, I know what we are gonna do today…" Phineas said. After gathering the tools they needed, the boys set off to work. It was like putting on an old glove, they soon got into the rhythm of things and pretty soon by nightfall they had finished.

"The machine is designed to analyze your dreams as you sleep. When you are sleeping, I can view what you are currently dreaming and even speak to you in your dream, if anything goes wrong, I can press this button and ice cold water will douse you, therefor waking you up." Phineas said to Ferb. Ferb nodded assent and lay down on the bed, a brain capsule lowered down on Ferb's head, a sedative was soon inserted. Ferb felt his eyes go droopy, "Phineas… if I don't make it…" Ferb murmured. Phineas clasped Ferb's hand, 'You will, we are brothers forever, I'll make sure nothing happens to you.." The last thing Ferb saw was Phineas tearing up before his drifted into cold realm of the Manor Of Memories.


	14. Hour 14: Shadows Of His Dreams

Hour 14: Shadows Of His Dreams

Ferb awoken on the cold hard floor. "Ferb… ferb can you hear me?" Phineas's slurred voice echoed in his head. "Yeah, I can…" Ferb muttered and groggily stood up. He was back in the chamber with the stone slab. Looking at the slab, he winced, remembering that horrible vision he encountered. "Feerrb, tryyy looking for another one of those chambers, the daaagers should be innn them." Phineas's voice dragging in his mind. "Got it" Ferb muttered and slowly walked out of the chamber. He turned his head around, looking at the stone door on the far side of the chamber. "I'm sorry…" he whispered and left the room.

Exiting the chamber, he was in a long hallway. The windows rattled and lighting flashed. A vicious storm seemed to be brewing outside. Ferb walked slowly down the hall, his muscles tense and his heart pounding within his chest. Reaching the end of the hallway, there seemed to be something scrawled upon the doors leading out the hallway, Ferb flashed his candle and almost dropped it in fright.

The words, "TRYING TO RUN?" were splattered across the walls, the fresh blood dripping down the walls, Ferb burst through the door and seemed to have ended up in a room. The room was splattered with fresh blood, but gruesomely the blood seemed to be of different colours, grotesque shades of dark purple, blue and red smeared the walls and in the center of the room laid a wooden bed. By the side laid intricate tools of what seemed to be crude tattooing devices. With the tools, a withered book with some splatters of the liquid blood rested. Flipping the book open, it appeared to be frantic, demented writing, he could barely make one passage.

"More blood, must have more blood. Human blood shall strengthen the bond of priestess and emotion. I must feel their pain, I am ready"

"So this is…." Ferb gasped and dropped the diary. His head became woozy and he grabbed something to steady himself causing the tools to clatter to the ground. He slowly backed up, desperately trying to escape the swirling, heaving room. Suddenly, he felt he bumped into something, looking backwards, he screamed.

A lady who's hands where dyed in the same colours as the blood, wearing bloody, tattered robes stared at him but the most gruesome feature of them all is that her eyes were no longer there, they were replaced with a thick length of barbed wire, going through her eye socket in one end and one the other. 'Ruuuun!" Phineas's frantic voice slurred in Ferb's head. He rolled out of the way, frantically getting to the door, he tried pulling on it but a powerful force held the door shut. He spun around just in the nick of time before the lady could grab him, he dodged to one side and raised the camera, two flashes of light pierced the dark room and the lady shrieked in pain.

Ferb ran to the far side of the room, there seemed to be a door! He prayed that it would open and when he tugged the handle, it sprung open and Ferb dashed inside and slammed the door shut. The woman slammed on the door, screaming at him. Then there was silence. He slid onto the ground, panting. "I…I think I got away" Ferb muttered. "It's so dark, I can't see anything." Phineas's voice echoed within Ferb's head. "Hold on, let me see if there's a candle." Ferb soon found a candle resting on metal dish and he proceeded further into the room. Theer seemed to be more unlit candles on the wall and Ferb lit them in an attempt to illuminate the room. When he did, his blood froze within his very veins.

Within the room lay people on wooden beds, they were dead and bowls of what Ferb assumed to be their blood lay beside their bodies. Their throats and wrists were slit and Ferb knew it was an attempt to harvest their blood. Further in the room, there seemed to be wooden barrels of the same blood but this time, the blood had appeared to be dyed. Near the barrels, a table was there, and a withered but neatly written notebook was placed. Flipping through, it appeared to contain the gruesome details of the blood harvest.

"The harvesting of blood is an essential part to the Ritual Of Memories, blood is used in painting the tattoos on the priestess. Blood is said to have very strong soul properties, which are essential for the binding of priestess and emotions. Blood harvesting is usually taken place a few days before the actual ceremony, where slaves and prisoners will be taken to a chamber where their throats and wrists are slit to drain their blood."

"Phineas are you getting this" Ferb asked. "Yeah, I am, I'm recording this down as we speak." Right next to the notebook, lay another book this time giving details about Tattoo Maidens.

"Tattoo maidens are women who draw and bind tattoos to the priestess, this job is essential as the binding of the tattoo signifies how strong the connection of the priestess and the emotions she is carrying. Before Tattoo maidens are initiated, they must pierce their eyes to feel the pain that the priestess feels."

Suddenly, the door slammed open and Ferb saw the tattoo maiden, staring at him with a vicious smile, Ferb began searching frantically for a way out as the door before was blocked by the tattoo maiden. There was no way out, he had to fight her. Raising the camera, Ferb attempted to snap a photo of the Tattoo maiden but she merely dodged and emitted a wild screech, all the candles soon snuffed out and Ferb sank into darkness. He heart was pounding in his chest, his eye locked on the viewfinder, a figure sprung out from the corner of his eye and he pointed the camera. A brilliant flash erupted from the camera and the tattoo maiden began shrieking with anguish, Ferb continually flashed the camera till the camera lens burned a fiery red and a bolt of white light blasted from the lens, a final shriek then pure silence. What was left of the tattoo maiden was a gleaming dagger with the word "Sadness" etched into it. Ferb gasped, it was another one of the five daggers! "Ferb, you've found another dagger, that means we have one more to find, we should-" Phineas couldn't finish his sentence. Ferb suddenly stood frozen in fear, the air became chilly and menancing, a figure slid from the shadows, it was the priestess.

Ferb's voice was strangled within his throat, he tried fleeing but his legs wouldn't cooperate. "You… want to see…. her… don't you…" the priestess rasped. "No… no like this, Phineas and Candance needs me…" Ferb whispered. "You… cannot… run… from memories you never forget…" and then the priestess lunged. Ferb rolled forward and began sprinting, he had never been so terrified in his life, he could hear maniacal cackling behind getting ever closer. Words began forming across the walls, familiar voices called to him, "Ferb.. I miss you…" "Ferb… why don't you give mummy a hug…." "NO! NO! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! ITS ALL MY FAULT! ITS ALL MY FAULT! Ferb screamed clutching his ears. He opened a pair of double doors and saw he was back in the stone chamber, a women waited in front of him. It was the woman in beige, "Mom…." Ferb's voice was shaky, tears were forming within his eyes. "I've been… wanting to say something…." Ferb whispered. "Come here…" his mother spoke, opening her arms for an embrace. 'FERB NO!" A voice pierced his ears. "IT'S A TRICK, DON'T BE FOOLED! SHE'S JUST A MEMORY! YOU NEED TO LET GO! THE PRIESTESS IS TRYING TO TRICK YOU INTO THE SPIRIT WORLD!" Phineas yelled. Back in the real world, Phineas decided it was time to wake Ferb up, he slammed on a button and icy water doused Ferb's face but Ferb didn't awaken. "Oh no…" Phineas muttered as he saw a familiar tattoo slowly creeping up Ferb's face.


	15. Hour 15: The Final Maiden

Hour 15: The Final Maiden

"Ferb! Ferb!" Phineas cried. There was no response, only silence. Phineas had entered the dream machine in attempts to save Ferb. He just hoped… that it wouldn't be too late. He ran down the hallway as fast as he could, a junction appeared and Phineas suddenly saw Ferb, heading right. "Ferb!" Phineas called out to him but Ferb didn't reply. Following him, he saw Ferb enter a door, Phineas ran after him but the door slammed at his face. Phineas tried pulling the door, but it wouldn't budge. Suddendly, Phineas felt the Camera Obscura reacting to some power at the door, Phineas raised the camera and snapped a photo. A photo popped out of the compartment and soon began developing, it appeared to be a dead tree, and Phineas could barely make out a black figure that either seemed to be on or floating around the tree. Tucking the photo in his pocket, he ran down the corridor to the next junction.

Go down the other corridor, Phineas suddenly spotted a floating, glowing ball, a memory! He reached out to touch it and the vision began playing within his brain. It was Ferb, heading down the exact same corridor he was on, Ferb appeared to be very terrified, whispering to himself, "I need to find her…" suddenly a shadow loomed and Ferb screamed, the vision became black. The vision returned with Ferb lying on the ground, with what appeared to be a black tattoo spreading across his skin. Phineas came to a conclusion that Ferb… was looking for someone.., someone he lost… that woman in beige… Ferb's mother… what happened between them… Soon Phineas arrived at door that led into what seemed to be a garden, stone lanterns hazily lit the midnight sky, while another smaller house loomed north of the garden, in the center of it all was a very large tree, withered and old. The camera seemed to be resonating with it, Phineas raised his camera and snapped a photo a the tree, an image developed and it appeared to be the woman in beige.. Ferb's mother standing forlorn at the tree, as if it was the last thing she'll see, strange markings were at her hands and feet but it was hard to tell what kind of markings they were.

All of a sudden, the wind suddenly picked up, the tree swayed and groaned and Phineas felt a chill going down his spine, he looked behind him and there stood a girl, dressed in a stake maiden outfit, within her hand, a gleaming dagger rested. The final dagger to open the doors… Phineas thought. "I am the chief maiden.. you have disrupted the ceremony of memories to attempt to open the door.. I cannot allow that…" she whispered and blood began dripping from her eyes, she took on a hellish appearance and her clothes began soaked with blood and tattered, the dagger began glowing with red hot energy as she prepared to strike. Phineas quickly raised his camera and attempted to get a shot of her but she was too quick, she flew by Phineas's side and he he felt white hot pain as the dagger sliced through his flesh. "By opening the door… you will release the Rift!" she screeched as she swung the blade at Phineas, Phineas deftly rolled away and with the sacred flash of the camera, struck the maiden dead center, she howled wildy and recoiled, Phineas continued taking photo after photo, the maiden screeching in pain, a blue flare erupted from the lens and Phineas fired a final shot, a brilliant flash appeared and the maiden's screams were silenced. Out slid another photo, that appeared to be the double doors at the courtyard but it was hard to make out. He also retrieved a dagger with the word "Loss" etched neatly on the dagger. The final dagger… the nightmare will be over.. soon Phineas thought to himself. Phineas left the garden quickly, in attempts to catch up with Ferb.

He arrived back at the door with the seal broken, he entered the room that appeared to be simply furnished, a glowing sphere floated in the center. "Another memory.." Phineas muttered. Heading towards the sphere, the memory soon played. In this memory, Ferb appeared to be sitting down on the bed in their house, his gaze cast at the pattering rain. A high pitched whine sent Ferb reeling onto the ground, his hands grasping his head, tears streaming from his eyes. "I CAN'T GO! YOU WON'T MAKE ME GO!" he screamed repeatedly. The whining stopped and Ferb huddled on the floor, silentlty sobbing, "How much more… can I take…" he whispered to himself. The memory then ended. "Was Ferb suffering as much as I did… I never…knew" Phineas felt tears trickling down his cheeks, he had to save Ferb. Exiting the room, Phineas found himself at a hallway where a pair of stone double doors was at the far end. Phineas saw Ferb entering the double doors and Phineas chased after him, he burst through the double doors and arrived at the stone chamber that he had seen a few times in Ferb's dreams. Ferb was at the far end of the chamber, about to enter it with the woman in beige. "Ferb, stop!" Phineas shrieked. Ferb turned around and saw Phineas running towards him. "Ferb, please! Don't cross over, there's still a chance at beating the priestess!" Phineas begged him. Ferb smiled and said, "But now… I can be with my mother… forever.. all that pain… all those tears… now I've finally met her…" "She's just an ILLUSION! ONCE YOU CROSS, YOU CAN'T COME BACK!" Phineas screamed with tears in his eyes. "Memories… funny things…. You try letting go.. but it only ends up tearing you apart…" Ferb held his mother's hand and whispered: "Let's go mummy…" and they walked off into the double doors, a shining light encompassed them both and then there was darkness.

Phineas slumped onto the ground… he wailed his heart out… another one gone. Candace and Ferb, fresh victims of the curse. 'Saddening isn't it" A voice behind him rapsed. He spun around and there stood Reika, "The brunt of their memories were too much for them, they now… rest in eternal slumber. "You bitch!" Phineas screamed. The priestess hardly faltered and whispered, "Now, it is time for memories to claim YOU!" she screamed and the world sank into pure darkness, Isabella stood bloody and disfigured… "Phineas… I'm so cold…. Why don't you join me…" She extended her bloody, broken arms. 'No… I won't go, you won't make me…" he muttered. "Let the memories overwhelm you… let them devour your soul… let them decide your fate…Isabella muttered while blood oozed from her eyes. "GET AWAY, YOU'RE JUST A MEMORY!" Phineas screamed, clutching his ears. The image of Isabella flickered between her and Reika. "Oh, I'm so much more THAN THAT!" she shrieked and pounced at Phineas. Darkness ensued.


	16. Hour 16: Ancestral Taboo

Hour 16: Ancestral Taboo

Phineas woke up screaming, the pain hit him so violently, he didn't have time to react. He convulsed upon the ground, searing white-hot pain coursing throughout his body, he lifted his shaky hand and saw the black marks branching rapidly on his skin. All of a sudden, the pain and the tattoo vanished and Phineas laid upon the ground sobbing his eyes out, feeling exhausted and defeated.

After washing up, he decided to lay the various things that he collected within the manor. He had all the five daggers, glistening wickedly under the daylight. He also had the courtyard photo that collected which he proceeded to develop in Candance's dark room. After a while, the picture appeared and it seemed to be the double doors that led into the priestess's chamber, however in the photo the double doors were open and a foul grey miasma seemed to be pouring out of it. Phineas didn't really understand the signifance of the photo but he decided to keep it anyways just in case. Afterwards, he headed up to one of the guests rooms where Ferb laid his body was covered in a black tattoo and he kept mumbling things to himself, pretty soon, he'll… be spirited away just like Michelle at her house the other day. Phineas suddenly heard the door knock, rushing downstairs he opened it and was surprised to find Stacey standing at the doorway. "Oh…Phineas, where's Candace?" Phineas winced and said, "I think you better… come in.

Stacey stared at Candace's tattoo covered body, she slumped onto the ground and began crying. "Stacey.. I…" Phineas tried saying something, but his lips failed to produce any sound. "I… I never thought it could be real… the curse…" Stacey whispered. "What? You know about the curse…" Phineas gasped. "I think its better if we talk downstairs." Stacey suggested as they both headed downstairs. With two mugs of hot tea, Phineas and Stacey sat in the living room, gazing at the softly falling rain outside. 'It's been raining everyday… wonder…when it'll clear up" Stacey muttered. "So how much do you know of the curse of memories?" Phineas questioned Stacey. "Well, it's a long story… I come from the Shinto region of Japan. I spent about 5 years there as a kid before…" she paused slightly. "Moving to Danville." "I lived in the region where the curse, the priestess and the manor originated. In fact, I used to live in the same village where the manor was located." "The manor was long gone when I was born but my grandmother still remembers the manor all too well as a little girl, she told me this supposed folktale many times, till this day it haunts me…"

"My grandmother said that the village believe that memories were the most powerful thing a person could have, it could make you or break you, it defined you. There was a ceremony, if your not aware when my grandmother was still a child, a priestess would be chosen, she must not bear any family members and she must have been through suffering, to be able to understand the brunt and carry other people's emotions. Then she is beaten till she is senseless then people visit her to tell which emotions they wish to dispel of. Hate, sorrow, rage. Many memories and emotions.., The tattoo maidens as my grandmother called it would etch sacred markings on the priestess's skin, these tattoo symbolize the carrying of the emotions and memories to the spirit world. When her entire body is covered, she is taken to a chamber far below the earth where she is impaled to prevent the emotions from overwhelming her. The dagger maidens would sing a lullaby to soothe the priestess and prevent her from awakening. Till this day, I remember the chilly, mournful air this lullaby brings."

"Sleep, priestess, lie in peace  
Sleep, priestess, lie in peace  
If you cry, the boat you'll ride, the last trip to the other side,  
Once you get there, sacred marks you'll bear,  
They shall be peeled off, should you fail to lie still.

Sleep, priestess, lie in peace  
Sleep, priestess, lie in peace  
If the priestess wakes from her dream  
Perform the rite of daggers, her limbs pinned tight  
Lest the doors open wide and suffering unleashed on all.

Go to the other side  
Go to the other side  
Cast the boat, take a ride, cross the rift to the other side  
Further and further to the other side,  
It must sail bearing your tattoos and our offering of memories."

"When the lullaby is complete, she is brought down further into the earth, where… the gate between the sprit world and human world lie. She is cast off upon a boat, with the memories and emotion she is bound with…" "One day however, there was this one priestess as my grandmother recalled that caused the Unleashing. Her name was Reika…" "That woman I keep seeing in my dream…" Phineas muttered. "Yes, Reika was the last priestess of the Ceremony Of Memories. She had a terrible childhood, her father left her family, causing her mother to be very abusive towards her, often beating and whipping her in drunken fits. One day, she could take no more and killed her mother, that event shattered her, she became an emotionless shell, just what the ceremony needs. Legend has it that just before she was lowered into the chamber, her father burst open and begged for forgiveness from her, this stirred emotions from her heart, something a priestess of memories should never have, the chief maiden saw this and swiftly killed the father in front of her eyes, it was the last straw for her, the emotions that she carried overwhelmed her, she became insane and the grey miasma of death and decay from the spirit world followed her, she burst from her chamber, killing everyone she saw, the grey miasma spreaded throughout the manor, causing everyone to kill themselves in madness. She then took her own life."

"The villagers in fear of their lives fleed the village, as the spirit world overwhelmed the village, the village was consumed by the grey miasma, only few survived and thankfully one of those few was my grandmother. Reika now searches for those who cannot let go of their memories, those who have tragically lost loved ones.. like you and Isabella… and they lure them into the manor where she lures them into the spirit world, the victim falls into a deep slumber… never to awaken… This is why we are taught to always let go of memories, no matter how painful they are, in fear of losing ourselves…" Stacey said as she finished her story.

Phineas and Stacey sat in silence for a while. "So I can send her back and maybe… just maybe get back Ferb and Candace if I send her off to the spirit world…." Phineas said. "It is possible… but it is very difficult, Reika is a malevolent spirit who is extremely hard to exorcise… but it is your only hope now…" Stacey proceeded to hug Phineas tightly, "I wish I could help you… I really do… but I can only offer you one piece of advice, "You must let go of your memories… then you will truly be free…" That night, Phineas laid in bed and he glanced over to the five dagger by his bedside. "I'm coming Ferb and Candace… don't you worry.." as he drifted to sleep.

Phineas opened his eyes and there he was standing in the courtyard with the double doors. Taking out the five daggers, he slowly began inserting the daggers one by one, each making a faint click as it slid in the compartment. The daggers suddenly turned in their compartments and a large click was heard, Phineas took a deep breath and reached for the door handles. "It… must not be opened…. That priestess… the shrine must be sealed…." A voice behind him rasped. Phineas turned around and saw a man dressed in dirty white robes, in his hands he carried a bloody meat cleaver. "THE CHAMBER MUST BE SEALED!" he shrieked as he swung the wicked blade towards Phineas's heart.


End file.
